Shock absorber



March 17, l19.25.

J. SALUS SHOCK ABsoRBER 1yr/MKM.

March 17, 1925. 1,530,207

- J. sALus SHOCK ABS ORBER Filed Nov. 3, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNENTR.' MKM@ 5y TIaRJYEX March 17, 1925.

J. SALUS SHOCK ABSOHBER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 3, 1925 INVEJYToR: MA1/fa BY TGRJVIEE Patented Mar. 17, 19.2".

UNITED STATES N y 1,530,270? PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH SALUS, OF ST, MNNESOTA. g.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

T all whom t may concern.'

Be it known tl l, Josnrn Sanus, a citi- Zen of the United 'States7 residing at St. Fauh in the county of Ramsey and State of lllinnes'ota, have invented certain newand useful lmprovements in Shock Absorbers, of which the following` is a specification.

My invention relates to shock absorbers for vehicles in general but more particularly adapted for motor `driven vehicles.

rlhe object is to provide an axle designed to absorb the initial shock caused by any unevenness or obstructions ordinarily en `countered by the ground wheels of an auto vehicle. lt will be 'understood that the regular leaf springs of an automobile or like vehicle equipped with my device may be retained7 as hereinafter described, and illustrated in the acconipanying drawings. in which:

' Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of a rear drive axle of an auto vehicle showing only the center and right hand end thereof and the right hand ground wheel partly in section, and my device incorporated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a front `view of approximately the whole left half of a front axle of an automobile7 some of the adjacent auto parts and the left ground wheel partly in section, and my device incorporated in proper position on the axle.

Fig. 5 is an elevation on line 3-3 in Fig. 2. 1 Fig. Fig. 2.

5 is a top view of the axle sections l5 and 46 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an elevation on line 6-6 in Fig. 1 and some added parts of an automobile body. l

7 is sectional eleva-tion approximately as on line 7-7 in Fig. 1.

,Fig 8 is a sectional elevation as on line 8-8 in Fig. l. y i l Fig. 9 is a front view of an automobile with my improvements incorporated on its front axle.

ln the drawings l have illustrated my` device as applied'and incorporated in the front axle and rear axle of a pleasure car or truck but it will be understood that for axles of various designs the design of my device must be varied to suit. The general construction disclosed is applicable to all motor driven vehicles.,v trailers or `horse drawn vehicles.

4t is anelevation on line in Application fue@ November s, i923. serial No. 672,64). J l.

6) hitherto extended to and keyed in they hub of the ground wheel 10. Fig. 1 illus-` trates mainly the right side of the drive axle in which is the main or central part of` itr including the differential housing having integral axle housings 15H and 15D Each of the latter terminates in a hollow ball and socket joint of which the ball 15m is preferably a part `of housing 15B or lL fitted snugly into a socket member 16x co1`nprising the inner end of a drive shaft housing` 16 linearly arranged with the housing` 13 and enclosing a drive shaft extension 17 the outer end of which is keyed in the hub of the drive wheel.

1S is a beam arranged longitudinally above the axle housing and secured as at 19 to the latter, 2() are two horizontally arranged pins in the socket 16a; of each outer axle section and adapted to oscillate in bearings 21a of a yoke member 22 secured asat 23 to the beam 18 straddling the axle housing joint and extending below it (see Figs. lv

and. 8) the latter ends of the yoke being provided with horizontally registering bearings for a shaft 211 on which is pivotally engaged the center portion. of a double rocking yoke 25 normally in yspaced relation below and pa xallel to the drive shaft housings7 for a' purpose to be described. y

26 are Ubolts for' securing the-usual longitudinally arranged body springs 2T to thebeam 18 and 28 is the usual spring end yoke pivoted at 29 to a bracket 30 secured on the auto body frame member 31 (see Figs. l and 6)..

3Q is a vertically arranged slotted bracket secured with lits upper end atf33 near` the outer end of beam 1S and straddling the outer axle housing' so that the latter may move only vertically withinit (see Figs. 1 and 6). 50 is a so-called radius rod secured to bracket 30 at its forward end and bracket 32, as at 5l, to brace said bracket.

The inner and outer drive sha'tt sections 14 and 17, respectively, are connected by any suitable type of universal joint within the ball and socket joint oi the axle housing, but in F ig. 6 l have illustrated a preferred form of joint, namely the Vflexible disc type in which the alternately spaced fingers 34m ot the shaft sections are secured to the Hexible disc 35 'through which power is transmitted from shaft i4 to 17 to rotate the drive wheel l0.

It is otl course desirable tokeep the drive sha'tt sections in horizontal alineincnt while they are transmittii'ig power to the ground wheels, but when either or both ot the-said drive wheels run over obstructions or into hollows in a road surface l provide means mounted on and adjacent the above described ball andA socket Vjoint which permit the outer housing sections to oscillate on pivot pins 2O and in a vertical plane only. 'lhe said means. which will now be described, vabsorb all or nearly all of the initialshock caused by the vertical movement of the wheels and the central section ot' the axle, with its differential gears, etc., receives little or no shock and consequently there is a comparativelyr small vertical movement ot the beam 18 and little it any vibration transmitted to the body of the auto through the body springs 27.

The above mentioned means comprise two sets of compression springs for each axle housing joint. Adjacent the ball lioint I provide on each of the housings 13-16, two integral vertically and diametrically opposite embossments 13m and 166m, upper and lower respectively, the upper ones of Said lugs each threaded for a cap screw under the head of which is spring` pressed a cross bar 37 (see Figs. l and 7) each cross bar arranged transversely above the axle housing. A similar cross bar 38 is held in like position vertically below the housing by a cap screw 39. The ends of all of said cross bars are drilled Ytor vertically slidable shouldered bolts 40 each passed upwardly from under the lower bar 3S and through the top bar 37, the protruding upper end'being threaded for a nut 41. The shoulder portion 40m of the bolts engage the lower cross bars 3S (Fig. 7 and below said shoulder each holt is drilled horizontally to be engaged by a pivot pin 42 in one of the free ends of the pivoted double vokev25- A helical coil spring 43 is interposed between the upper and lower cross bars and about each bolt 40 and by adjusting the nuts 4l the said springs may be compressed until the springs on opposite sides-of the axle joint will maintain the axle sections in yproper linear relation under normal. load carrying conditions.

It will be understood, that if, for example, the wheel should suddenly hit a. rock or other obstacle on the road it will ot course raise the wheel vertically and the outer axle housing will be swung upwardly on its pivot 20. This action causes the lower, outer bar 38 to move upwardly with said axle section 1G and the upper bar 37 moves upwardly also carrying the shoulder pins 40 with them and causingl the normally horizontal yoke to be tilted up on that side (see dotted line position of 25 in Fig. l). The opposite side of said yoke (asin Fig. l) will of course be rocked downwardly, automatically pulling down the shoulder pins or bolts adjacent the inner axle section and compressing their springs 43 between the cross bars 37 and 38 to an extent only limited by the amount the springs can be compressed, as the upper bar (37) may slidek downwardly on the shank o'f its cap screw 36.

Similar effect is produced on the springs and cross bars to the right ol" the ball and socket joint (in Fig. l) if the wheel 10 suddenly sinks into a rut or hollow and which would cause the yoke 25 to rock with its right hand end down. In either case the compressed springs tend to spring back to normal position and line up the drive shaft sections in proper linear relation when the wheel resumes running 'on the smooth surface of the road.

Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 9 illustrate necessary lnodilications and changes in construction of my device as applied to the front' axle of an automobile because of the different type of axle used and the mounting of the ground wheels, the latter wheels of course being` the steering wheels.

In the front axle construction the same principle is used as in the rear axle, namely, there are three axle parts. the central or main part 45 of I-shape in v .rtical cross section andv two end sections 46 each with a vertical yoke 47 at its outer end and in which is pivotally mountedvthe turning spindle 48 o't the front wheel 49.

In the above mentioned Figures (2,3, 4, 5 and 9) illustrating the lt'ront axle construction, parts similar to those used in the rear axle have been given like numbers but with the suifix f added to avoid confusion. There being no hollow axle housing and drive shaft` involved in the front axle vI have used a long bolt E56/i in place of cap screw 36 on the rear axle, said bolt 36f cxtending` through axle 46 and having a nut 52 at its lower end and a third spring 40?a placed in compression7 about said bolt, and between the bars 37j" and 387. This provides for excess Aweight on the front axle which usually supports the motor of an automobile.

The 'front axle of my device requires no rocking yoke (as E25 of rear axle) but I malte the inner end of axle section ll-i' in the form ot a horizontally disposed yoke 4166i with transversely registering bearings 523 for a pin passed through the outer endv upper portion ot which I extend bolts 40;

with springs 43] (see to right ot pivot 54 in Fig. 2 and also Fig. 4i). In said Figures 2 and el it will be noted that bar 38; rests on top of axle d6. The spring action is the same as on the rear axle, above described when one or both ground wheels strike a bump or a depression such as are commonly encountered on mostly any road.

56S in Figures 2 and 9 are the usual trent body springs o'l an automobile, each secured on a. raised part 415?) ot the axle section Ll5 by U-bolts 267C.

57 is a bmnper oit rifibber or other resilient material secured on the body trame 3l (see Fig. Q) to prevent excessive upward movement oi springs 56S, 58 in Fig. 6 1s a like rubber bumper suitably secured in the upper part ot the slotted bracket 32 to prevent ex- Lessive upward movement et either rear axle housing section 1G.

The operation et' my invention has been fully disclosed in the above speciiication'.

I claim:

l. In a vehicle axle, a. horizontally arranged main sect-ion adapted to support a vehicle body, two opposite end sections each with its inner end pivotally secured to one end ot the main section and its outer end adapted to carry one ot' the ground wheels and means for normally retaining all said axle sections in horizontal alinement, said alineinent means consisting` of two groups ot 'vertically disposed springs unser variable compression adjacent each pivot, said groups arranged equi-distant from the pivot longitudinally ot the axle and pivoted means connect-ing said groups ot springs, and means vfor compressing` said springs at each side of the pivot consisting oit an upper horizontal bar arranged above the axle, a lower bar below the axle, vertically arranged bolts passing through said bars, the springs arranged one about each bolt and between said bars, and a nut for each of said bolts.

2. The structure specified in claim l, said pivoted means connecting the two groups oit compression springs adjacent each axle pivot consisting of a rocker arm pivoted centrally to oscilla-te in a vertical plane and means connecting said rocker arm with the lower ends ot the spring. bolts at each side of the axle pivot.

l. The structure specilied in claim l, said pivoted means connecting the two groups off comin-ession springs adjacent each axle pivot consisting o'l' a rocker arm pivoted centrally to oscillate in a vertical plane and means connecting said rocker arm with the lower ends oi the spring bolts at each side ot the axle pivot, said rocker arm pivot arranged in fixed position relative. to the pivot of the axle sections.

4t. The structure specilied in claim l, said pivoted means connecting the two groups ot compression springs adjacent each, axle pivot consisting ot a rocker arm pivoted centrally to oscillate in a vertical plane and means connecting said rocker arm with the lower ends of the spring boltsat each side of the axle pivot, saidI rocker arm pivot arranged in fixed position relative to the pivot ott the axle sections and said rocker adapt ed to oscillate in a direction corresponding to the movement of the outer axle section when the ground wheel on the latter contacts with an obstruction or runs into a depression in the road and causing mis-alinement of the axle sections, said oscillating of the rocker arm automatically compressing a number of said springs, the latter tending to consequently expand and re-aline the axle 5. The structure specified in claim l, said pivoted means connecting the two groups of compression springs adjacent each axle `pivot consisting of a rocker arm pivoted centrally to oscillate in a vertical plane and means connecting said rocker arm with the lower ends of the spring bolts at each side of the axle pivot, said rocker arm pivot arranged in fixed position relative to the pivot ot the axle sections and said rocker adapted to oscillate in a direction corresponding to the movement ot the outer axle section when the ground wheel on the latter contacts with an obstruction or runs into a. depression in the road and causing mis-alinement of the axle sections, said oscillating ot the rocker arm automatically compressing a number ot said springs, the latter tending to consequently expand and re-aline the axle, said rocker arm being arranged to compress the springs at the end of the rocker arm moved downwardly by the oscillating movement of the outer axle section.

In testimony whereof I affix my signa-ture.

,Josnrn sALUs. 

